This invention relates to a method of removing ruthenium contamination from radioactive effluents, which can be used for crude effluents or for effluents previously subjected to chemical decontamination treatments of the conventional kind.
It is known that radioactive effluents, such as solutions produced by the treatment of irradiated fuels, can be subjected to various chemical decontamination treatments by which the ruthenium can be eliminated, in particular. The majority of these treatments consist of forming, in the effluent which is to be treated, precipitates capable of fixing the ruthenium, for example by adding ferrous ions and copper ions to this effluent and then rendering the medium alkaline to precipitate the corresponding iron and copper compounds.
However, the effluents thus treated still have an excessive ruthenium content, and therefore require additional treatment to bring their residual ruthenium activity down to acceptable levels.